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January 13, 2013
Encinal PTO / La Organizasión de Padres y Maestro
Boletin en espanol - haga clic aqui
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Principal's Spotlight on Learning
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Dear Encinal Families,
 Happy 2013! It was nice to see how excited the students were to be back at school and to reconnect with their friends after the winter break. We also welcomed three new students to Encinal this past week, and they enjoyed meeting new friends and settling into their classes.
January is always a good time to set goals and determine priorities for the upcoming year. One thing I'd like all families to consider is their contributions and involvement with Encinal for 2013. If you haven't already done so, please consider ways to contribute to the school by volunteering, serving on PTO committees, and/or contributing financially to the Foundation. I can't emphasize enough that we truly appreciate all that you do for us. Our kids and staff enjoy coming to Encinal and we all have tremendous MPCSD pride - as we should!
Encinal Staffing Update: Mrs. Katrin Wright, our wonderful school secretary, is moving to Portland with her family. Her last day will be Friday, January 18th. We're happy for her but very sad to see her go. We wish her and her family all the best in their new home in Oregon.
District Enrollment Projections: Look for an invitation to a February 28 PTO meeting inviting all parents to attend and speak with Dr. Ghysels and members of the MPCSD Board about enrollment projections district wide over the next few years. Our school board will be making some important decisions regarding the district's next steps and would like to solicit feedback and input from parents. We'll announce the date and time soon.
Spelling Bee: My heart was racing this past Friday as 15 contestants participated in the Scripps Spelling Bee. I'm so proud of their participation in front of a crowd of over 400 people. Congratulations to 5th grader, Lauren Hall who moves on to the regional level.
Visitor Sign-in: I appreciate the increased volume through the office as parents are faithfully signing in and wearing visitor badges. We truly appreciate the time you take to follow this procedure and to help ensure a safe campus for all.
Sincerely,
Ms. Burns
sburns@mpcsd.org
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Week at a Glance
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Important Dates
- Jan 16 - Park & Walk at Roger Reynolds - Coffee & Bagels
- Jan 16 - "Parenting in the Digital Age", 6:30pm, Hillview PAC
- Jan 18 - Spanish Immersion Parent Meeting, 8:45am, Laurel School Multi
- Jan 21 - MLK Holiday, No School
- Jan 25 - Yearbook order final deadline
- Jan 29 - Speaker: Mindset author, Carol Dweck, Hillview PAC
- Jan 31 - PTO Board nominations due
- Feb 13 - 5th Grade Outdoor Ed Parent Information Night, 6pm, Encinal Library
- Feb 21 - Cultural Arts Day, Volunteers Needed
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Register Today for Winter After-School Activities
Most classes begin this week!
Now that you have settled back into the school day routines, check out the great Encinal After School programs. There's something for everyone! Here are some of the classes that still have space:
- Speech and Debate - 1st-5th - a fun new activity which was very popular at Principal Burn's previous school. Great for kids that like to prove a point!
- Yoga - K-2nd - a brand new yoga program offered by Encinal parent, Robin Soran, promises to be fun and instructional. Second class just added for K-2nd on Tuesdays, 2:40-3:30.
- Hope Musical Theater - 1st-5th - Kids will love to sing, dance, and act on stage as they explore a different Broadway musical number during each 3 hour workshop. Sign up for just one or as many workshops as you want.
- Let's Play in Spanish - K-2nd - one of the best Spanish language programs in the Bay Area, a fun and active way to learn Spanish.
- 1 on 1 Basketball - K-2nd - the ever popular basketball program is always a great way to learn the sport and have tons of fun.
- Flag Football - K-5th - Coach Bowler continues to provide an active, fast paced program that kids love.
Questions? Please please email Liz, PTO After-School Program Coordinator.
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Enjoy Free Coffee & Bagels at Roger Reynolds
Park-n-Walk Location begins Wed, Jan 16
 Would you like to walk to school, but live a little too far away? Good news! Our friends at Roger Reynolds Nursery have agreed to serve as a park-n-walk location for Encinal!
Starting Wednesday, Jan 16, park in the Roger Reynolds lot at 133 Encinal Ave (just on the other side of the railroad tracks) and walk the half-mile to school. Enjoy coffee and bagels at the nursery before or after your walk on the 16th.
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Win an Extra Recess for your Class
Sign up for Carpool to School by Friday, Jan 18
The class with the most families signed up will get an extra 10 minutes of recess!
For more commute tips or to sign up for Transit Notes, contact Kathy Schrenk
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Spanish Immersion All Parent Meeting
Friday, January 18, 2013, 8:45-10:00 am, Laurel Multi
Please join members of the MPCSD Spanish Immersion team for a report on progress, to celebrate successes, address challenges and
 plan for the support of our continued growth into the future. All parents of children currently enrolled in the Spanish Immersion Programs at Encinal and Laurel schools are encouraged to attend.
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Order Your 2012/2013 Encinal Yearbook Now!
Orders due by Friday, Jan 25
Yearbook sales are underway and final orders are due by Friday, Jan 25. Order your book now to ensure you have all the memories of the school year!
Yearbooks cost $25 each. Click here to order.
Scholarships are available. Pease see Pam in the office if interested.
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PTO Volunteer Opportunities for Winter/Spring
 We are grateful for the incredible group of parent and grandparent volunteers that coordinate and run PTO sponsored activities. We are seeking a few more volunteers to help us this Winter & Spring. Please consider these opportunities. Hot Lunch Volunteers: Want a glimpse into your child's day? Hot Lunch service is for you! And for each day you serve, you get a credit towards a free lunch. Monthly shifts are currently available Monday through Thursday from 11:15-12:30. For more information and to volunteer, please contact Kim, PTO Hot Lunch Coordinator. Cultural Arts Day: Help in your child's classroom, prepare materials in advance (at home any time that works for you), decorate and set up before the event, or assist with other activities on Feb. 21. Contact Hillary and Erin, Cultural Arts Day Co-Chairs. For more info about this exciting event, read here.
Bike/Walk/Carpool Event Coordinator: Help plan an event (or two) this Spring to help promote bike/walk/carpools at Encinal. Contact Kathy, Transportation Coordinator. Spring 3rd grade Laurel/Encinal family social: Plan a family event to welcome Laurel families and students to Encinal. Contact Katie, PTO President.
5th Grade Picnic: Help plan an activity or lunch for June 11 picnic for 5th grade students. Contact Amy, Event Chair.
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PTO Board Openings for 2013
Nominations Due January 31, 2013
Encinal needs you! Please nominate yourself or someone else you think would be great at one of these positions by January 31.  To submit a nomination, nominate yourself or ask any questions about the Board, please email the PTO Parliamentarian, Robin Soran, or contact any member of our nominating committee: Lisa Lajous, Hillary Easom, Marla Bischoff, Laurel Holman, or Gina Watkins. Thank you to these volunteers for agreeing to serve on the Encinal Nominating Committee to recruit and select next year's PTO Board. Click here for full descriptions of these open PTO Board positions. - Executive Vice President
- Financial Secretary
- Secretary
- Community Coordinator
- School Support Coordinator
- Volunteer/HRP Coordinator(s)
- Communications Coordinator
- Auditor
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Outdoor Ed Parent Info Night for 5th Grade Parents
Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 6pm, Encinal Library
 All 5th grade parents are invited to attend an information session about Outdoor Education on Wednesday, February 13th at 6:00 pm in the Encinal School library.
Mark Nolan, San Mateo County Outdoor Education Director, will provide a presentation, slide show and Q&A session. The presentation will run 45 min to 1 hour.
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Cultural Arts Day Needs Your Help!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Ni hao! Did you know that China has at least 9 families of spoken languages? The country has 8 "official" languages, though many more indigenous languages are spoken by inhabitants of this vast country.
Cultural Arts Day 2013 is not far away, and we're gearing up to introduce our Encinal Eagles to the arts and culture of China. The students will see professional Chinese dancers, sample traditional Chinese foods, try their hand at calligraphy and origami (which actually originated in China!), and explore much more of the country's rich history and culture.
We need volunteers to help with pre-event preparation as well as volunteers who are able to attend part or all of the event on Thursday, February 21. (**Please note the change of date from earlier announcements**)
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Encinal Box Tops Collection
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
 Gather all those box tops from your holiday baking and bring them to the marked box in the front office. Our next collection deadline is Tuesday, February 26th. We appreciate everyone's participation to meet our PTO budget.
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A Word From the Encinal Library
California Young Reader Medal Award Nominees During library time at Encinal, we are reading the CYRM (California Young Reader Medal) nominee books in preparation for casting our votes at the end of March. Please click here to learn more and see a list of this year's nominees.
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Encinal Shout Outs
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Thank You to Spelling Bee Coordinators & Competitors!
Thank you to the volunteers who helped to coordinate Encinal's first annual Spelling Bee - Mary Sapountzis, Lynn Cox, Katie Ferrick, Ken Wang, and thanks to Mrs. von der Linden for her great work as mc!
And, a big thank you and "Great Job!" to all the students who participated in this event. Congratulations to Lauren Hall, the winner of the Encinal Oral Spelling Bee held on Friday 1/11. She will move on to the Bay Area regional competition.
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Congratulations to the January Eco Raffle Winners!
 Thanks to all the students who help us Go Green at Encinal when they bike, walk, and carpool to school. Congrats to the January winners of the Eco Raffle pictured here: Anoushka B., Megan M., Forester C., and Kevin C.
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MPAEF News
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Thank You To Our New Business & Realtor Partners!
Please support those businesses and realtors who support our schools! Thank you to these new 2012-13 business and realtor sponsors:
Business Partners
- Chris Lindsey, DDS
- Peninsula Pet Hospital
- Menlo Partners Staffing
- Paul Gerber, DDS
- Riviera Partners
- European Styling Parlour
- Intuitive Environments
- Blue Sky Outdoor
Realtor Partners
- Veronica Kogler, Coldwell Banker
- Omar Kinaan, RE/MAX Distinctive Properties
- Mary & Brent Gullixson, Alain Pinel Realtors
- Mary Gilles, Alain Pinel Realtors
- Keri Nicholas, Coldwell Banker
- Penelope Huang, RE/MAX
- Carol MacCorkle, Coldwell Banker Previews
- Debbie & Manny Ojeda, Intero Real Estate Services
- Stephanie Savides, Savides Real Estate
- Karin Riley, Coldwell Banker
- Leslie Woods, Sereno Group Real Estate
Click here to become a Business or Realtor partner!
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Parent Ed Opportunities
For a complete listing of events,
visit the district's Parent Ed webpage.
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Wed, January 16, 2013, 6:30-8:30 pm, Hillview PAC
Parenting during the digital age presents special challenges. Parents typically don't have role models themselves and there are few clear guidelines about how to manage their children's behavior. My Digital TAT2 specializes in how today's children are growing up in a "living out loud" digital world and believes in creating an online community based in kindness and respect. Through short video clips and group discussion, parents will learn about cyber-bullying, digital 'footprints,' social networking sites and common sense strategies for cyber-safety. Overuse and supervision will also be explored. Parents will leave with better cyber-sense along with tools to help guide their children to become smart, ethical producers and consumers of technology.
Discussion will be led by Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet, PPSC, LCSW and Erica Pelavin, LCSW, Ph.D of My Digital TAT2.
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Facilitated by Pam Von Wiegand, founder of Project Cornerstone.
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Tuesday, January 29, 7 p.m., Hillview Performing Arts Center
The Friends of the Menlo Park Library present a special evening with Stanford Psychology Professor and Author Dr. Carol S. Dweck, PhD, whose work has demonstrated the role of mindsets in student motivation and has shown how praise for intelligence can undermine motivation and learning. For more info on this event, click here. To register, please click here. |
Other Upcoming Parent Ed Events
"The Myth of the Perfect Girl: Helping Our Daughters Find Authentic Success and Happiness in School and Life"
Ama Homayoun, founder of Green Ivy Educational Consulting, Thurs, January 17, 7:30pm, Kepler's
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Family Community Service Opportunities
For complete listings click here |
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Did you know MLK Day is a National Day of Service? Here are some great ways for your family to serve together.
Creekside Weeding & Mulching at El Palo Alto Park with Acterra - Saturday, January 19th, 9:30am-12:30pm: Join us for a few hours of mulching native plants and weeding on the banks of a local creek! Help us improve habitat for native insects, birds, fish and other animals as we work to help restore the "bottom of the food chain" - our native plants that support all other native life. All ages are welcome. Click here for more info and to RSVP.
Collective Roots - Monday, January 21, 9AM - 12PM: Martin Luther King Day Community Work Day. Join us at Collective Roots in East Palo Alto for lots of garden tasks, planting seeds and getting the garden in tip-top shape for spring! Contact Eron for more information or to RSVP.
Palo Alto JCC, Mitzvah Day - Monday, January 21, times vary based on project. Join hundreds of your neighbors for a community-wide day of tikkun olam (repair of the world) as part of a National Day of Service to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Over 20 hands-on service projects available for participants to work in small groups addressing issues of poverty, hunger, housing and homelessness, aging, the environment, and more. Open to all ages. Advance registration required.
"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Questions? Know other service opportunities? Contact Kari Riedel
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Local Community News & Events
For complete listings click here
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Community Events
Give Kids a Smile Day, Friday, February 1, at participating dental offices throughout San Mateo County. Free Dental Care! Dental exams, cleaning, fluoride application, possible x-rays and dental treatment for children ages 1 to 18 years. For uninsured and underinsured San Mateo County residents. Call: 650-616-2002
Know Your Flu F.A.C.T.S. - Knowing your flu symptoms can help you act to quickly protect yourself and your family. Click here to learn more from this resource recommended by the Encinal nurse.
Sports, Classes, and Other Opportunities
Menlo-Atherton Little League, Registration deadline for the upcoming 2013 Little League Season is Sunday, January 13. Late fees and wait lists will apply after that. Player Evaluation Day is Jan 19. To register, follow this link.
Thursday Storytimes at Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park. The Menlo Park Library is now offering three new and exciting free storytimes on Thursdays: Mandarin/English Storytime at 10:15 with Miss Stephanie, Toddler Storytime at 11:15 with professional storyteller John Weaver, and our pilot afternoon Preschool Storytime at 2:15 with John Weaver. For more info, visit our website
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Encinal PTO Communications
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This email and the Encinal School web site are delivered to you by the Encinal PTO Communications committee. For more information about Encinal School, please visit www.encinalschool.com. Just checking to see if anyone reads all the way down here. If so, click here.
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Join the PTO Mailing List - Text "SUBSCRIBE" to 42828
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